By Parker Jones
On Wednesday October 23, 2017, Wyoming State Forester and NASF immediate past president Bill Crapser will testify before the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee.
The hearing will consider new legislation introduced by Chairman Barrasso, “The Wildfire Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2017.” The Bill provides streamlining planning requirements in order to facilitate more active management on federal forests.
State Forester Crapser will testify in support of the streamlining provisions in the Bill but also note the need for comprehensive wildfire funding fix so that there is funding to proactively manage the nation’s forests. His testimony supports more robust consultation with State Foresters and the state’s forest action plans. He will also speak to the impact that the lack of management on federal forests is having on state and private forests. Crapser said his fellow State Foresters share his frustration and are concerned about “overly burdensome, expensive and time-consuming environmental analysis processes.”
Read the E&E News story in anticipation of the hearing.
Read Bill Crapser's full testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.